The Wish
by Obscurus Lupa
Summary: PG for violence. After a misunderstanding, Merton wishes that he had never been born. Little did he know, his wish would be granted.
1. The Wish

The Wish  
  
By: Obscurus Lupa  
  
A/N: Man, that had to be one of the most cliché titles ever, huh? Anyway, I'm taking a slight break from The Series and decided to write this little fic. Actually, I have no idea if this will be little. Oh well. Anyway, leave a detailed review on your way out. It would be greatly appreciated, seeing as I love feedback. (  
  
"Button to the left, button to the right, buy a book, buy a book, fight fight fight!"  
  
Merton cheered enthusiastically, handing out Gothic Fantasy Guild buttons and holding a copy of the limited edition Gothic Fantasy Guild yearbook. Students rushed past him, throwing buttons back at him casually and occasionally snickering at him. This didn't seem to deter the boy from promoting his guild, though. His toothy grin seemed pasted on his face, even after he tripped on his robes, falling to the ground with a thud. Needless to say, despite his optimism, he was having little luck.  
  
Okay, so he'd gotten an exchange student to take a button, but other than that, no one seemed interested in his yearbook, nor his guild.  
  
Whatever happened to the holiday spirit? Christmas was coming up that week and so far Merton had seen no one being cheerful, jolly-He hadn't even seen a sprig of mistletoe! Just because the other students at Pleasantville High were deprived of Christmas joy didn't mean that Merton wasn't going to enjoy the holidays, though. He had already been planning a Christmas party weeks in advance, not to mention he had brought out his "Christmas frock" (A black robe with lights strung around it and fur lining the edges.). For the lasting effect, he had a pair of antlers set upon his head. In his mind's eye, he was definitely prepared for Christmas. Nothing jollier than that.  
  
Merton's joy came to a quick end, though, when he saw Hillary Choate walking down the hall.  
  
"You!"  
  
Hillary and Merton pointed at each other simultaneously, glaring from afar. It seemed Merton wasn't the only one preparing for Christmas. Hillary was wearing a white dress strung with lights, a Santa hat, and to top it off she wore elf-like shoes. Her face red, Hillary marched straight up to Merton, her hands on her hips.  
  
"How dare you copy me, Merton Dingle?" she asked demandingly. Merton looked shocked and pointed to himself.  
  
"Me? You were the one who copied me!" To emphasize his point, Merton pointed to Hillary and looked around for support. She pushed Merton back, causing him to back up a few steps.  
  
"Merton, you'd better admit that you were wrong and I was right, right now, or you'll suffer the consequences."  
  
Merton folded his arms defiantly and smirked. "Or what?"  
  
"Merton? Buddy?"  
  
Tommy entered the bathroom, only to find Merton bound in Christmas lights, hung from the ceiling. "Uh, Tommy? Could you maybe get me down?" The Goth laughed nervously as he struggled with the lights.  
  
"You okay?" Tommy began to untangle his friend, letting Merton fall to the ground loosely. "What happened?"  
  
"Oh nothing . . . Let's get to class, heh heh."  
  
It was here.  
  
Oh, joyous saints, it was here! Christmas Eve-the very night Merton had been waiting for-was finally here! Merton had the lair already decorated. Garlands were strung, mistletoe was hung conveniently over his large chair, and Christmas carols were playing merrily. The boy stared at his handiwork, welcoming the eye-pleasing sight with open arms. However, there was one error to his party that he had not counted on.  
  
No one was there.  
  
He was sure he had given out invitations . . . He was positive that his family would come at least. But no, there was no smiling face of Mr. Dingle, no familiar smell of gingerbread from his mother-No arrogant sigh to be heard from Rebecca Dingle. It wasn't his family's absence that disappointed him the most, though . . . Tommy and Lori were nowhere to be found. Not a trace of the blonde and the werewolf.  
  
Well, if no one was going to show up, he was going to find them instead.  
  
Merton stood up, grabbing his trench coat and exiting the lair into the snowy night.  
  
White specks floated past Merton's icy eyes. Pleasantville seemed to be a completely different world now. The town seemed unnaturally still and silent, covered in a blanket of soft snow. The Goth took a moment to stop, breathing in the fresh air and closing his eyes. A chill went down his spine as the cold bit at him, but he stayed in place. The silence was suddenly broken by a laugh.  
  
Merton's eyes snapped open and he looked around him. The sound of crushing snow filled his ears and he spun around. Tommy and Lori were talking and laughing, walking down the street.  
  
They looked so happy. Hadn't they remembered the party? Maybe they had forgotten him . . . No, no, they weren't irresponsible friends. They wouldn't forget him.  
  
Would they?  
  
They seemed perfectly fine without him . . . Perfectly together and perfectly cozy by themselves. No third wheel. For the first time this season, Merton felt let down . . . Was he not there for them whenever they needed his help? Now they just tossed him aside. They didn't need him. They seemed so much . . . happier now than they were with him. Maybe it was a misunderstanding . . .  
  
"Quick, we've got to get to your place before Merton sees us!"  
  
Merton's jaw dropped and his spirits sunk. No. It wasn't a misunderstanding. They had forgotten him. He turned, hung his head, and left.  
  
"Lori, hurry up before Merton sees us!" Tommy commanded loudly, "We've got to get his presents wrapped before he sees us! Come on!"  
  
Cold. The winter was always . . . cold. Merton didn't mind, though. The lair was always chilly. He didn't seem to feel the cold anymore. He shook his head, diverting his attention to the bridge he was looking over. He wasn't going to let this affect him. There was a perfectly rational explanation as to why his friends has tossed him aside and ditched him.  
  
Or not.  
  
"I wish I'd never been born. Maybe they'd be happier then."  
  
Merton felt a sudden chill up his spine. He shivered, wrapping his coat tighter around him. The flurry of snow suddenly became thicker, blowing around him quickly. Merton furrowed his brows, looking around at the sudden blizzard that had begun. Snow circled all about, faster and faster-He felt it wouldn't stop. The flecks of white blurred his vision, brushing against him and chilling him to the bone. He could no longer see the things around him, and instead saw a mass of swirling white. Out of the blue, the most unexpected thing happened.  
  
It stopped.  
  
Now, it might have not seemed so surprising to him then, but he knew that blizzards did not just come, last for a few seconds, and suddenly stop. After a drawn out pause, Merton shrugged it off, looking back out over the icy bridge.  
  
"Mom!"  
  
Merton's gaze reverted to a small girl who was running down the bridge, her curly locks of hair bouncing up and down merrily. An equally cheerful woman carrying bags struggled to keep up, laughing out loud.  
  
"Laura, what is it?" she managed to get out, catching up to her daughter as she stopped.  
  
"Mommy, look!" To Merton's surprise, the young girl's bright, hazel eyes swerved in his direction and a small, mitten-covered hand came up to point at him. "Can I keep him, mom? Can I?" Merton's dark brows furrowed and he looked around. His finger twisted around in his ear, making sure that he heard right.  
  
"Honey, we've talked about this before," the woman said sternly, taking her daughter's hand, "You don't know where it's been! Honestly, I haven't a clue what to do with you. Come along now; we'll buy one from a shop in town." Laura sighed and followed her mother as they left.  
  
Merton was puzzled. What on Earth were they talking about? Admittedly, he did look a tad strange, but referring to him as "it" was a little harsh. Perhaps he just heard wrong. That was it. He probably just . . . misheard. He shook his head, forcing his numb feet to turn him around and lead him back to Pleasantville.  
  
It was quiet. Sure, Pleasantville wasn't exactly the type of town to party, but it seemed unnaturally quiet, as if someone had taken a remote control, pressed mute, and forgotten to turn the sound back on. Merton began to whistle a merry tune, thrusting his hands into his pockets. Suddenly, he came to a stop, his mouth dropping open.  
  
This was not Pleasantville.  
  
It couldn't have been. Pleasantville was welcoming, happy-clean. Now the buildings seemed to have aged rapidly; the worn streets were littered with trash. From broken windows, the sounds of screaming could be heard. The sky had turned dark, contrasting with the only bright thing for miles around, the snow covering a great majority of the ground. Footprints of all sizes littered the snow, leading into houses or alleyways.  
  
Merton stood in awe, staring at what he thought was his hometown. He gave a sigh of relief as he saw a couple of people sitting down beside what he assumed had once been the Hungry Bucket. He casually made his way over to them.  
  
"I don't mean to bother you or anything, but . . ."  
  
"Find shelter," one of them began, lifting their head up, "You must hide. Surely you have an owner?"  
  
"Owner?"  
  
"You there!"  
  
Merton turned around, a bright light nearly blinding him. The people sitting down had their eyes wide and they stood up. When Merton's eyes adjusted to the light, he saw none other than Chuck Freeman heading towards them with a flashlight in hand.  
  
"Chuck?"  
  
"You three!" Chuck barked, causing the two behind Merton to jump, "Where are your papers? Shouldn't you be with your masters?"  
  
"You don't own us!" one of the people, a young man, said defensively, stepping forward, "We're living beings!"  
  
"Not for long if you don't drop that tone of yours," Chuck said nonchalantly. The young man rushed forward and Chuck's eyes flashed as he suddenly wolfed out, slashing his throat with a single swipe of his paw. Merton's eyes widened.  
  
"Gah!" he jumped back in terror, "Y-Y-You're a werewolf!?" Chuck rolled his eyes.  
  
"No, I'm the queen of England."  
  
The young woman, the other person who had been accompanying the man, sobbed and fell to her knees beside her accomplice. "Why did you kill him?" she choked, "He was hardly weak; he could have at least done housework if he wasn't sufficient enough!"  
  
"Tough luck; he was defying authority," Chuck explained as if it was a mundane thing, "Now you two are coming with me. We're going to the chain yards."  
  
The woman panicked and stood up, running away as quickly as she could. Chuck growled, causing Merton to jump. Merton looked around, realizing that he was alone. Without thinking, he dashed after the woman.  
  
"You two get back here!" Chuck screamed, racing forward.  
  
He couldn't stop running. Merton just couldn't stop running. He had no idea what had happened to Pleasantville. To make things worse, Chuck had somehow been turned into a werewolf. Something was wrong, and he had no idea what to do.  
  
But perhaps his friends did.  
  
Merton didn't have any more time to ponder when he felt a sharp pain in his leg. He collapsed into the snow, hitting the frozen ground hard. "What now?" Merton turned himself over and saw Chuck just a few feet away from him. His vision began to blur , but he could make out a few figures jumping out behind Chuck. Great, now Chuck had backup coming. How was he going to get away?  
  
To his surprise, the figures began to attack the werewolf. Chuck didn't seem to put up much of a fight. That, or he didn't want to fight diligently. Either way, he quickly took off. He could see the silhouette of a figure as they looked around and headed towards Merton.  
  
"Hey, we've found another one!" The voice was female for sure.  
  
"Is he alive?"  
  
"I dunno."  
  
The figure headed forward and stooped down. Now that they were closer, Merton could vaguely make out a face.  
  
"Lori?"  
  
"He's alive!" Lori looked over to the other figures and nodded.  
  
"Lori, you won't believe what just happened . . ." Merton noticed his voice begin to slur as he struggled to keep his eyes open. "Chuck was a werewolf . . . and Pleasantville . . ."  
  
"Sh, you can tell us all about what happened later. Right now we've got to get out of here. Is there anyone else with you?"  
  
"There was a girl . . . She ran away."  
  
Lori nodded. "Hillary, there's a girl on the run." Merton could make out the shape of someone heading in another direction. Lori reverted her attention back to Merton. "It's going to be okay . . ."  
  
Merton awoke to find himself in a bed. He sat up, holding his head. "What a weird dream . . . Gah!" Merton jumped as he looked around him. He wasn't in the lair. It appeared to be some sort of primitive underground military base. He stood up, heading for the door. He reached for the knob just when the door opened, hitting him right in the face. He yelled out and gripped his nose in pain.  
  
"I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"  
  
Merton looked over to see Lori standing there, looking concerned.  
  
"Lori, where are we?"  
  
"We're in a shelter. How did you know my name?"  
  
"Very funny, Lori. Where are we really?"  
  
Lori furrowed her brows. "I told you. We're in a shelter. It's a good thing that we found you when we did, or you'd end up in the chain yard."  
  
"Chain yard?" Merton's head was swimming with questions.  
  
"Yeah . . ." Lori began slowly, "You know, where humans are sent to be trained."  
  
"Come again?"  
  
"Maybe the drugs haven't worn off on you," Lori said, then laughed, "Otherwise you need to work on your jokes."  
  
"Drugs? Jokes? Lori, what is going on?"  
  
"The wolves used some drugs to slow you down while you were on the run," Lori explained, "If we hadn't of shown up, you would have been taken."  
  
"Taken by who?"  
  
Lori's brow creased. "The wolves. You know, the werewolves taking over the world?"  
  
"What!?"  
  
"Listen, I think the drugs have made you kinda go kuku right now, so why don't you lay down and-"  
  
"Lori, this can't be happening!" Merton exclaimed, grasping Lori by the shoulders, "This wasn't what Pleasantville was like a few minutes ago! Where's Tommy?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"This isn't funny, Lori," Merton started up again, "We've got to figure this out . . ." He released Lori from his grasp and headed straight out the door.  
  
"Wait!"  
  
Merton strolled down the street, looking around him. It was day now, and everyone seemed to be out. The strange part of it all was that each and every person had something in common . . . They were werewolves.  
  
Now, Merton wasn't a rocket scientist or anything, but he was able to determine that something was not right. This couldn't be his hometown-his Pleasantville. He felt so out of place, so alone here. Sure, he hadn't exactly been Mister Popularity before these odd occurrences happened, but back then-if he could refer to it that way, despite not knowing how long he had been out-he had at least been able to feel welcome by his friends.  
  
No, scratch that. He hadn't felt welcome by his friends, not after what had happened. Perhaps he had overreacted. Well, maybe so, but either way, his friends had been avoiding him for some reason. So maybe it wasn't so bad, but he had put a lot of work into that party. His family hadn't even shown up! Okay, so maybe his family never showed up for anything he had organized, but he had hoped that they would at least head down to the lair for a bit in the spirit of Christmas.  
  
Which reminded him. The day he had been planning for was here. The exact date he had spent hours decorating his lair for had arrived. Today was, in fact, Christmas day.  
  
So why wasn't he happy about it?  
  
His answer was right in front of him. He had expected Christmas to be a jolly day-Streets oddly peaceful, save for the carolers singing merrily at the doorsteps or richly decorated homes, fireplaces illuminating happy houses filled with loving families-the parents drinking cocoa as their children rushed to the gifts happily-the town covered with ice and snow, giving everyone who looked upon it a sense of closure and inner peace.  
  
This was not how he had pictured his Christmas to be. The streets were noisy, werewolves were walking about huffily, there was a lack of decorations anywhere-the doors to homes were locked tight, windows were shut, and blinds blocked anything that might be happening inside. Anyone who looked upon this mess would feel a sense of gloom, impending doom, and loneliness. It was only after this word popped into his mind that he realized the very thing that he was afraid of.  
  
He was alone.  
  
Who did he have? Tommy and Lori were avoiding him, his family had long since disowned him, and he had no acquaintances to turn to and vent. Was this search really worth it? What if he did find Tommy? What then? What if Tommy, like Lori, was part of this cruel joke? What if they had gotten the whole town together on this?  
  
What was he saying? Tommy and Lori couldn't have gotten the whole town to participate in some horrible joke like this, especially one that could cause Tommy's secret to get out. Whatever had happened, his friends hadn't caused it. They probably were wondering what had happened to Pleasantville, exactly like he was. He couldn't have been the only sane person on Earth. At least, he hoped he wasn't.  
  
There was only one way to find out, and the answer lied within a figure that stood not a few feet away. 


	2. It's A Wonderful Strife

It's A Wonderful Strife  
  
By: Obscurus Lupa  
  
A/N: Thanks to MerDeNoms for this chapter title! In case you were wondering, this whole story is a parody of It's A Wonderful Life, even though I have yet to see it. The plot is still there. Yeah. So . . . leave a detailed review.  
  
Merton smiled widely. "Tommy!" He began to run forward, but stopped in his tracks and dived behind an old car as he saw Chuck speaking to his friend. He watched the conversation from behind the beaten automobile.  
  
"So, Dawkins . . . Hear about what happened last night?"  
  
"Who hasn't?" Tommy replied casually, leaning against a pole, "I hear you got your ass kicked." Chuck growled and his eyes glowed.  
  
"They ambushed me!" he said defensively and more loudly than he had intended. His voice became calmer. "Besides, I did a lot more than you've ever done in your life. I think we know who the real alpha is here." He now had a smug, triumphant look on his face. Laughing, he walked away. Merton crept out from behind the car, making his way over to Tommy after he was sure that Chuck was gone.  
  
"Tommy?"  
  
Growling, Tommy quickly turned around and wolfed out, his eyes glowing. "What?"  
  
"Uh, heh heh . . . I can see you're a tad confused," Merton began nervously, "You're not the only one. Lori and I still haven't figured out what happened to Pleasantville."  
  
"What are you talking about? Who's Lori? Who are you?"  
  
"Tommy, it's me," Merton said, lifting an eyebrow, "You know . . . Merton Dingle? Your best friend?"  
  
"I don't know any Merton," the werewolf replied, growling, "I don't have time for some goody-two-shoes werewolf who thinks he's better than me and his lame antics to mock me."  
  
"But, Tommy-"  
  
"I said enough!" Tommy grabbed Merton by the front of his shirt, pushing him hard against the pole he had been leaning on previously. His eyes flashed maliciously. "You want to have some fun, huh? Want to see if you can mess with my mind? I bet you're one of those people who think they're pure just because they were born a wolf. Well let me tell you something, "pure breed": I have little patience and if someone decides that they want to waste my time by reminding me of how "different" I am, then that person, pure or not, is going to face the consequences."  
  
Merton gulped. "Tommy, don't you remember me?"  
  
"That's it." Tommy raised his clawed hand and Merton put his hands over his face.  
  
"I'm not a werewolf and I'm not making fun of you, honestly! I really need your help!" Merton closed his eyes, waiting for the blow. There was a long pause and he opened his eyes, catching a glimpse of Tommy smelling him. He suddenly looked disgusted and dropped Merton to the ground.  
  
"Ugh! Jeez, man, you want to give me a heart attack? You smell like humans!"  
  
"Uh, Earth to Tommy!" Merton said sarcastically, "I am a human."  
  
"What?" Tommy's eyes widened, "You don't have a master with you, you can't-" he paused for a moment before smiling, "You're that human that got away from Chuck last night! Oh sh-"  
  
Merton covered Tommy's mouth. "I'm not very informed about what's been happening to Pleasantville lately, but I'm pretty sure that if word gets out that I'm a human, these alternate Pleasantvillian werewolves won't take it well."  
  
"Who says that I won't take you in?"  
  
Merton's eyes widened. "You wouldn't." There was a long pause. "Okay, so maybe you would. C'mon, Tommy, it's me! You wouldn't turn me in to some flesh-eating, savage, untamed werewolves, would you?"  
  
Tommy growled. "Okay, I may not have understood half of what you said, but I'm pretty sure you just insulted me there. You act like we know each other."  
  
"We do!" Merton pleaded, "We're best friends!"  
  
"We don't and we aren't," said Tommy, seemingly agitated, "I know I'm not into killing, but that doesn't mean I don't despise you humans. You and your little revolt team almost got one my betas killed. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you know."  
  
"Please, I know deep down inside that you can remember me! You've just got to look deep into your heart."  
  
"Can I at least have a phone call?" Merton laughed nervously as he was being dragged away by a couple of werewolves. He looked at Tommy pleadingly. "I've got a family! What about Becky? My parents? What about Lori Baxter? They'll all be looking for me!"  
  
"Let him go."  
  
"What?" the werewolves and Merton questioned in unison. Tommy nodded and the werewolves let Merton go.  
  
"How do you know Lori Baxter?"  
  
"She's our friend, as I mentioned earlier," the Goth replied.  
  
There was a drawn out pause as Tommy locked eyes with Merton, his eyes narrowing. "Can you take me to her?"  
  
"You know, Tommy, I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate you . . . you know, not eating me, torturing me, etcetera, and I'd just like to say th-"  
  
"Martin, just show me to Lori."  
  
Merton clamped his mouth shut, making sure that he was heading in the right direction. Best his memory served him, the "shelter", as Lori had called it, was only a few blocks away. He was still puzzled. What had happened to Pleasantville? What had happened to his friends? He was sure that werewolves couldn't have taken over the world in that short amount of time. He would have been able to figure this out if only his friends knew who he was. They didn't seem to recollect even seeing him before. There was only one other thing he could do, and that was search his personal library. He made a mental note to head to the lair as soon as he had led Tommy to Lori.  
  
"This is . . ." Merton trailed off as he realized that the shelter had seemed to disappear. "Where is it?" He began to grope the wall with his hands, laughing nervously. "It was right here!" Tommy growled and gripped Merton by the collar, pushing him up against the wall.  
  
"Mervin-"  
  
"Merton," the smaller boy corrected. Tommy gritted his teeth, his fangs glistening.  
  
"Merton, you'd better have a good explanation as to why you've led me to an empty wall! I have better things to do than to follow some disgusting human around and if you don't have any leads as to where Lori Baxter is, then I should just take you to the chain yards right now." The werewolf seemed to have a hard time finishing his last sentence, as if the thought of this "chain yard" that he was referring to was enough to send a dog running away, tail between its legs.  
  
"If I may ask, why do you want to talk to Lori so badly?" Merton knew he was trying the werewolf's patience, but his curiosity got the better of him.  
  
"I don't plan on talking to her, human," Tommy replied, a grin curling onto his lips, "I'm sending her to the chain yards. I never thought a human might deserve it until she came along. She and her little rebellion have cost me a lot of betas. She'll make a good slave."  
  
"Beg pardon?" Merton once again found himself twisting his finger in his ear. "Slave? Are you trying to tell me that humans are slaves?"  
  
"You know, I hate a human with too much sarcasm."  
  
"I'm serious, Tommy," said Merton, his voice cracking, "Since when have werewolves ruled the world? When did humans become slaves?"  
  
"Listen, I don't like it anymore than you do, and the fact that I began this whole thing doesn't make it any better," Tommy explained, a bit more calm than he had been just seconds before, "You think I wanted I the wolf to get out? I didn't want to spread this-this disease! It just went out of control."  
  
"Why didn't you go to someone?"  
  
"Who would I go to?" the jock asked, "No one at Pleasantville High would understand if I told them that I needed help as a werewolf."  
  
"But, Tommy, what about the help I gave you?" Merton was in a stupor. "We even fought evil together!"  
  
"What are you talking about?" It was Tommy's turn to be bewildered. "I just met you today."  
  
"Tommy, snap out of it!" Merton gripped his friend by the shoulders. "It's me! Merton J. Dingle!"  
  
Tommy shook his head. "There wasn't ever anyone by that name transferred to Pleasantville High. I would have recognized you, especially with that hair." Merton was even more stumped than before. It was as if he had never even been born . . . His eyes widened as he recollected what he had said before he had returned to Pleasantville.  
  
"That's it! I wished that . . ." Merton suddenly trailed off as his vision blurred. He fell to his knees, hitting the ground. The last things he saw were Tommy's hazel eyes before his vision was filled with ebony.  
  
"Man, people have got to stop doing that to me!" Merton sighed and looked around him. He was being dragged by two large werewolves, both whom he didn't recognize. They seemed to be walking down a large, dark hallway, illuminated only by a few dull lights hanging from the ceiling. There weren't any windows, but Merton could hear the pounding of rain against the walls and heard the ominous call of thunder from the outside.  
  
Before he knew it, he was thrown into a dark cell. He slid across the wet floor, hitting the stony ground hard. Pulling himself up, he rushed to the bars of the cell and gripped them with all his might, looking pleadingly at the ghost-like werewolves outside his imprisonment. "Please, you've got to let me out! This isn't Pleasantville!"  
  
"Whatever, human," one of them sneered, and Merton could smell the alcohol on their breath, "You might as well get used to that cell. You're gonna be there until the alpha says you're ready to be sold." The two werewolves laughed, heading out of the hallway as people in cells around them pleaded for help, their fingers outstretched. The werewolf that had spoken to Merton stopped before he reached the door, turning to face the raven-haired teen. "Welcome to the chain yards."  
  
Merton turned himself around, giving a defeated sigh and leaning against the bars. He let himself sink to the ground sadly as he put his head in his hands. How could he have let this happen? How would he get out? Where would he go? Who would he go to? It was all so confusing . . .  
  
He was knocked out of his thoughts when he heard a small voice. "I'm guessing you haven't been to the chain yards before." Merton looked up to see a small, delicate white hand. It was crusted with dirt and pale as snow, but after all he'd been through, it was the most beautiful hand in the world. His own hand found it's way there and those seemingly fragile fingers snaked around his palm, lifting him up.  
  
The woman before him was beautiful, despite her shabby appearance. She was so pale that her skin seemed to glow in the dim light. She had a sharp, pointed nose and piercing blue eyes that seemed to search through Merton's entire body, searching for something unknown. She seemed unnaturally thin, as if she had been starved. After the things Merton had been hearing lately, he wouldn't be surprised if she had been. She shook her head, her matted brown hair bouncing from side to side.  
  
"I guess we'd better get well-acquainted then if we're to be sharing a cell," she continued, "How long do you suppose it'll be till they force us to breed?"  
  
"Breed?" Merton began to choke on something that had built up in his throat. "Beg pardon?"  
  
"Yeah," the woman said, as if it was an everyday thing, "They expect the humans to mate so they can sell the children."  
  
"We've got to get out of here," Merton said, panicked, "This isn't- This isn't human!"  
  
"Exactly," the woman pointed out, "They're animals. There's no way to escape this place. Even Lori Baxter and her rebels couldn't get anyone out." Merton shook his head, sitting down again. The woman sat down next to him, her hair draping over her shoulders in a matted mess.  
  
"This isn't Pleasantville . . ." Merton repeated, as if it somehow could have helped his situation, "This may have been all my fault . . ."  
  
"It's no one's fault," the woman assured him calmly, placing her pale hand on his shoulder, "No one except the wolves, that is. As long as you're human, then you have nothing to blame yourself for." There was a long pause as Merton rubbed his temples, deep in thought. "How about we get to know each other? I'm April." April held out her hand and smiled at Merton. He managed to tug a small smile onto his face and shook her hand gently.  
  
"Merton."  
  
They hadn't had much time to talk before the night settled in. Even as he began to go to sleep, Merton was thinking up ways to get out of the chain yards. He hadn't seen much, but it was enough to convince him that it was not the place he wanted to be. It had been at least an hour since April had fallen asleep. He was certain that he was the only person still awake in that room. Although tired, he couldn't sleep. He thanked the Lord for his insomnia when the door creaked open.  
  
A small amount of moonlight shone from the outside, indicating that the hall outside of the door had windows. A scrawny young werewolf bumbled inside, opening the door quickly. A figure in a black cloak stepped inside slowly, a dark hood obscuring their face. He began to slowly walk forward. The werewolf beside him locked the door, fumbling to put the keys back onto his belt as he followed the figure.  
  
"So, uh," the young man paused as he was still fumbling with the keys, "What's up?" The hooded figure sighed and a pair of glowing yellow eyes appeared in the dark hood.  
  
"I'm merely making sure that you dolts are doing your jobs and keeping the humans well restrained." It was a low, raspy voice that seemed worn out. Although oddly familiar, Merton couldn't pinpoint whose it was while they were talking so quietly. The young werewolf stopped fumbling with the keys, dropping them unintentionally after obviously thinking that they were fastened to his belt. As if by chance, they slid across the floor, just beside Merton's cell. The two figures didn't seem to notice that the keys had fallen. Merton pretended to be asleep, waiting until the both of them had left. Sure enough, they creaked open another door and left.  
  
Merton got up and knelt on his knees, stretching his hand out from between the cell's bars. He groped the ground until he felt the keys. Grinning from ear to ear, he stood up and unlocked the cage. April began to move, her eyes flickering open.  
  
"Merton, what's-Oh my-"  
  
Merton covered April's mouth as her eyes went wide. "Sh! They'll hear you . . . You take the keys and get everybody out." He placed the keys into April's pale hand and closed her fingers around them.  
  
"What about you?"  
  
"I'm gonna find a way out." April nodded and headed toward the cages on the other end of the room. Merton looked around thoughtfully. They couldn't leave the way they had come in. There were too many security guards. He looked about and noticed the door that the figure had exited the room with. He didn't know much about what lay beyond it. There was only one way to find out.  
  
Merton crept through the dark hallway, his eyes adjusting to the light. A single door lay open, a very dim light shining through. Voices could be heard drifting through the hall. He recognized the voice of the young guard with the keys. The Goth knew that he was risking a lot, but his curiosity got the better of him. He slunk his way toward the door and listened in.  
  
"Mr. Dawkins, sir, if I may ask . . . Why were you with a human? I mean, the news in getting out and . . . I must say, it's rather strange. You didn't own the thing, did you?"  
  
"No." There was a long pause. "I did not." Yet another pause.  
  
"Then why were you with it?"  
  
"None of your business."  
  
"But-"  
  
"I told you, Mr. Scrasten; when the time comes, I will explain my ecounter with the stray, but for now, I wish to be left alone. None of the betas are to disturb me until I tell you otherwise. Understood?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
Merton gasped and pressed himself against the wall. The door opened and Scrasten stepped out, exiting the hall. He didn't seem to notice Merton. This was it. Merton could explain to Tommy that he had wished that he was never born and he would help him. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped inside. Tommy raised his head, his hood still covering his face.  
  
"Scrasten, I told-" Tommy gasped and stood up, backing away. "How did you get in here?"  
  
"Tommy, listen, I have an explanation as to why-"  
  
"Please, just-Just leave me alone, Marv-Merton." Tommy backed away even more. "It's not that I don't want to help you, it's just . . . Please, you can't see me right now."  
  
"But it's importa-"  
  
"You can't see me right now!" Tommy growled, his eyes glowing. He took a step forward. His eyes stopped glowing and he shook his head. "It may seem important to you, but you have no idea what kind of hell I'm going through right now. I've got the press following me everywhere, I'm getting nothing accomplished, and to top it all off, I'm having trouble controlling the wolf. This is exactly what happened when I started this whole thing! Now you've brought it back. Just because you think that it's so important."  
  
"I wished that I was never born and then this happened! It wasn't like this before!"  
  
Tommy growled and began to walk toward Merton slowly. "Really, now? I have a hard time believing that, Merton." Merton back to back up as well. Before he knew it, he was cornered.  
  
"Heh heh, there's no need to get violent here!" He closed his eyes, ready for an attack. Suddenly, he heard a howling. His eyes snapped open and he saw Tommy falling to the ground, out cold. April stood behind him, a chair in hand. Merton smiled and ran forward, hugging April. "Thank God! Quick, we have to take him back to a shelter."  
  
"Are you insane!?"  
  
"Trust me on this one, April," Merton said pleadingly, "I might be able to find a way to get things back to normal." 


	3. Love, Loss, and Lust

Love, Loss, and Lust  
  
By: Obscurus Lupa  
  
A/N: Um . . . Detailed reviews. Yeah. I like those.  
  
"Merton, you're crazy." April didn't seem to be angry, but seemed to be stating it as a fact. She and Merton were dragging an unconscious Tommy to the end of the hallway and out into an alley. "How are we going to get a werewolf, especially the alpha, to a shelter? Someone's bound to notice! Even if we do get him there, he'll kill us all once he wakes up! Face it; werewolves are untamed savages. Especially this one."  
  
"Trust me on this one, April," Merton panted, struggling to get Tommy all the way out of the door, "He's my friend. He just doesn't know it." '  
  
"Oh, well that makes perfect sense then."  
  
Merton looked over at April as she flashed a quick smile. It was a beautiful smile, genuine and humble. He furrowed his brows as he heard a clawing sound. They looked over to see Tommy waking up, clawing at the ground. He slowly sat up, the hood covering his face.  
  
"What happened?" He was breathing deeply.  
  
"Listen, Tommy, I'm really sorry about this, but I need your help." Merton hoped that he sounded reasonable. April backed up behind Merton as Tommy stood up. He smiled at the irony. This was the first time that someone had actually hidden behind him. He felt important-joyous that someone was dependant on him, despite the fact that he'd be the first one running.  
  
"You . . . You guys kidnapped me." He looked over to see that they were right next to the building known as the chain yards. "Hardly. No human has ever challenged me before." Tommy seemed to be in a state of shock. "Who are you really?"  
  
"I told you," began Merton, "I'm your best friend. I kinda . . . caused this to happen by wishing that I was never born."  
  
"And you know how to make things normal again?" Tommy began to smile, his gaze filled with hope.  
  
"No." Tommy's smile faded. "But I might be able to find out if we can get to the lair!"  
  
"The . . . lair?" Tommy was confused.  
  
"Yeah," Merton said, "It's . . . Well, it kinda doesn't exist anymore, but there's still hope that my house is still here. Maybe there's something that we might find to help us."  
  
"I'm not going if he is." April's face was set and she glared at Tommy.  
  
"Please, April, you have to trust him. He's good." Merton looked pleadingly at April, making his trademark "sad" face. April sighed, and Merton thought he almost saw a smile flicker onto her lips.  
  
"Fine," she agreed reluctantly, "but if he tries anything, I won't hesitate in fighting back." Tommy's eyes flashed, but he said nothing.  
  
"Now, shake hands."  
  
Tommy and April glared at Merton for a moment, but quickly sighed in unison, looking at each other. Tommy held out his paw and April's pale hand met it. The handshake was quick, but it was enough to assure Merton that they were willing to work together for the benefit of mankind. "To the lair!"  
  
This was not his house.  
  
Well, it was Merton's house in a sense, but it was eerily silent. The windows were broken, the paint was faded and peeling, and the grass had turned into a dry, brown substance. One of the trees in his yard was dead, while the other seemed to have recently fallen in front of the door. The place seemed abandoned. Merton gulped, looking behind him at April and Tommy. April realized that she was hiding behind Tommy and she took a few steps away from him.  
  
"Well, let's . . . go inside." Merton laughed nervously, turning toward the door. He stepped over the fallen tree, grabbing the rusty knob with a shaky hand. Tommy and April were already beside the tree, waiting for him to make his way inside. He took one more look back before taking a deep breath and opening the creaky door.  
  
The house seemed the same, except for the worn and abandoned look it had obtained. Merton heard a crunching sound as he stepped inside. He lifted his foot and saw a broken picture on the floor. He picked it up, brushing the dust away. He recognized this picture, save for a few differences. His family was smiling up at him. He was no longer standing beside Becky in this picture, however. Instead, they seemed to have obtained a German Shepard dog, which was staring absent-mindedly at something to the left.  
  
As he was staring at the picture, Tommy made his way inside, looking over his shoulder. "That your family?"  
  
"They used to be."  
  
"Is this what's gonna help us?"  
  
Merton shook his head, setting the picture down on a dusty dresser. "No."  
  
"Well, Dawkins; looks like you've been caught in the act." Tommy and Merton turned around, coming face to face with Chuck, who was grinning maliciously. "Good work, Tommy," he continued, "Now we can finally get rid of this troublesome . . . pest." His gaze wandered over to Merton.  
  
"Take it easy, Freeman; I've got it taken care of," Tommy said, "Go back to your duty. I'll finish this."  
  
"Not so fast, Dawkins," Chuck said with a sneer, "I'd like to see him die." There was a long pause. Chuck folded his arms and smirked. "I'm waiting."  
  
"I can't kill him, Chuck. He's . . . my friend."  
  
"Just as I thought. Move." Chuck stepped forward. "I'll kill him myself." Tommy growled and his eyes flashed golden.  
  
"Over my dead body."  
  
"That can be arranged."  
  
Chuck lunged forward, pouncing on Tommy. The two of them tumbled to the ground, breaking a table as they fell upon it. When they stopped rolling, Chuck had Tommy pinned to the ground. He raised his paw, ripping at Tommy's face with one quick swipe. Tommy yelled out, kicking at Chuck and sending him flying back into the overturned couch. Chuck jumped to his feet, getting into a fighting stance. Tommy lunged forward, growling and snarling wildly.  
  
Chuck quickly pulled out a broken chair leg from behind his back, thrusting it forward. Merton's eyes widened as he saw Tommy impaled by the broken piece of wood. It was thrust into his chest, sticking out of his back on the other side.  
  
"Tommy, no!"  
  
Chuck grinned, taking a step back. Tommy gripped the wood sticking out of his chest, falling to his knees and gasping for air. He fell on his side, gripping the wood until his knuckles turned white.  
  
"Who's the alpha now?"  
  
Chuck laughed coldly. He didn't seem to even care if Merton was dead or not. He just wanted the leadership . . . the power. Kicking Tommy in the side, he turned around and left. Merton ran closer to his friend, kneeling beside him. Tommy was breathing in short gasps, his eyes shut tight in pain. He gripped the wood even tighter and yelled out, pulling it out of him slowly. Merton could hear the sound of the wood as it scraped out of Tommy's body. It was a sickening sound-mingled with Tommy's cries of pain, it was almost unbearable for him to hear.  
  
The werewolf gripped his chest, the crimson blood dripping through his fingers and hitting the wood floor. Merton began to hyperventilate, unsure of what to do. He was scared. Scared for Tommy; scared for himself. "Tommy . . . Is there a hospital nearby? We need to get you help." Merton tried to stay as calm as possible.  
  
"There's not enough time," Tommy rasped out, forcing his hazel eyes open, "You need . . . to . . . help Pleasantville." He gripped Merton's hand tightly, struggling as he put on a small grin. "You know . . . when you . . . you kept bothering me . . . and I got angry . . . ?"  
  
"Y-Yes." Merton's voice was beginning to crack.  
  
"I'm just . . . j-just glad you did. I never would . . . h-have gotten . . . the chance to meet you oth-therwise . . ."  
  
"Tommy, you're not giving up now!" Merton felt as if he were pleading for Tommy to keep himself alive. "It's going to be okay, and I'll-I'll get Pleasantville back to normal . . . You'll be okay!" He began to shake as he gazed into his friend's deep eyes.  
  
"Hey . . . Pleasantville needs y-you."  
  
"Tommy, Pleasantville needs you too!" Merton tightened his grip on Tommy's hand.  
  
"Not all b-battles . . . can be won, right?"  
  
Merton shook his head, his brows furrowing. Tommy uttered that last sentence, taking in a sharp breath. His head rolled to the side and his grip on Merton's hand loosened. Merton let go of Tommy's limp hand, staring at his own bloodstained fingers. He suddenly wrapped his arms around his motionless friend, closing his eyes and beginning to sob.  
  
"You can't go now," he whispered, "You can't go . . ." He found himself crying into his friend's shoulder, holding on tightly. He felt as if letting go would cause Tommy to leave him somehow. Suddenly he realized that he couldn't keep his friend there . . . He was . . . gone. All of this was his fault. His friend was gone. That was his blood that Merton was covered with . . . He was surrounded in a puddle of crimson. His tears were mingled with the precious blood of his best friend.  
  
It was there that he fell asleep.  
  
"Merton!"  
  
"Merton, are you okay?"  
  
Merton moaned and turned himself over, his eyes opening. Snowflakes were falling onto his face, sending him chills. He didn't want to move. He didn't want to face the harsh reality that his best friend was dead. His head hurt immensely, but he couldn't figure out why. Why was he outside? Who was speaking to him? He saw Lori's face above him, looking concerned.  
  
"Lori?"  
  
"Merton, are you okay?" Lori held out a mitten-covered hand, which Merton took gratefully. She pulled him to his feet, brushing away the snow that had covered him.  
  
"Where's April?" Merton asked, panicking, "Did she get taken back to the chain yards? Is she back at a shelter? Where's Tommy-I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye!"  
  
"Merton, what are you talking about?" Lori asked, her brows furrowed, "You must have hit your head pretty hard when you slipped on that ice."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Yeah," Lori replied, "Tommy and I were getting worried. What were you doing out here all alone?" Merton looked around, realizing that he was back on the bridge. He saw Tommy standing a few feet away. Smiling, he ran over and hugged him. After a considerable amount of time, he rushed over and hugged Lori as well.  
  
"What's gotten into you, buddy?" Tommy asked, beginning to laugh.  
  
"Oh, nothing," Merton said, grinning from ear to ear, "I was just . . . seeing from a different light." He put his arms around Tommy and Lori's shoulders. "Now how about some cocoa at the lair?" 


	4. Ending The Chapter

Ending The Chapter  
  
By: Obscurus Lupa  
  
A/N: I figured this needed a nice, heartwarming ending. :)  
  
Merton grinned softly, sipping his hot cocoa and reminiscing over his dream. It had seemed so real . . . He found it impossible that it really hadn't happened. Maybe he had just slipped on the ice like Lori had told him. Either way, he had learned an important lesson: Pleasantville needed him. He had a place in life. He glanced over at Tommy and Lori, who were chatting in a corner, holding their steaming mugs of cocoa close to their faces. Many other people had shown up for the party (Merton had a sneaking suspicion that they had just come due to Tommy being there.).  
  
Despite his joy at returning to his old life, Merton was deeply troubled by something. His brows furrowed as he thought about it, his gaze focusing on a lit candle that was nearly burnt down. The small fire reflected in his crystal blue eyes as he thought. Images flashed past his mind: Tommy's death, the chain yards-but what stayed on his mind the most was the thought of April.  
  
He had fallen in love.  
  
It may have sounded silly, but Merton had truly been smitten. The problem was, he could never have her and he felt bad. He didn't just feel torn inside because he could never have her, but he felt stupid that he had fallen head over heels for a figment of his imagination . . . the girl of his dreams, so to speak.  
  
He could almost feel her gentle hand again-see her smiling face. It had all seemed so real. This girl couldn't have been just a delusion. She was so . . . human.  
  
Merton shook his head, his gaze returning to his friends. He smiled once more. Sure, he couldn't have April, but he still had his friends. He had his old life back, but from a whole new perspective. This was what Christmas was supposed to be like. This was the epitome of happiness.  
  
But why did he still feel bad?  
  
The door opened, letting in a small figure. Merton gasped and stood up, dropping his mug of cocoa to the ground. He ignored the sound of the breaking cup and rushed over to the girl. It couldn't have been . . . could it? Sure enough, April was standing there, covered with flecks of snow.  
  
"Ap-I mean, hey; what are you doing here?"  
  
"I just heard about a party and decided to stop by," she explained, grinning, "I'm not too late, am I?"  
  
"Of course not!" Merton helped her remove her coat, setting it on the near-full coat rack.  
  
"Great." April flashed another smile, making Merton nearly melt. "I'm April." She removed her mittens and extended a pale, delicate hand. Merton gripped it, feeling the wonderful touch of her hand once more. He returned a toothy grin.  
  
"Merton." 


End file.
